The method of the present invention is a series of object-directed, emotional resolution steps comprised of a synthesis of psychological techniques and speech technology. The psychological techniques used in the method are based on the findings of several schools of psychological thought, including Jean Piaget's child development theories.sup.1 (see Appendix A), Carl Rogers' client-centered therapy.sup.2, B. F. Skinner's behavioral theories.sup.3, and Dr. George Bach's Creative Aggression techniques.sup.4 as well as on recent findings on the therapeutic effects of laughter.sup.5, biofeedback and stress reduction techniques.sup.6. The method of defusing emotions and stress through physical actions is supported by Bach's and other clinical psychologists' and psychotherapists' use of devices to hit with. However, the object-directed emotional resolution method directs the person's anger at a neutral object, not at a person.sup.7. The acceptance of various feelings, including anger, loneliness, and tension is prominent in clinical psychology particularly in such theories as Eric Berne's Transactional Analysis.sup.8, Virginia Satir's family therapy and model of self-esteem.sup.9, and Carl Rogers' client-centered therapy.
The object-directed emotional resolution method engages the "free child" described by transactional analysts, which helps break the aggravation/anger/stress cycle in children and adults alike. The behavior modification techniques pioneered by B. F. Skinner support the idea that people can change the way they handle stress. In response to tension (the stimulus), people can learn to relax through the use of the object-directed emotional resolution method, thereby changing their long-term response to stress-inducing situations. The child development theories of Jean Piaget explain the intellectual, emotional and moral development of children. Piaget's work supports the use of concrete objects and concrete interactions with those objects (e.g. speech and sound effects) in the object-directed emotional resolution method as an effective way for children to learn to deal with their feelings.
The apparatus of the present invention is usable for emotional resolution for preschool age children (2-6 years old) and incorporates speech technology, soft goods design, and developmental psychology. The theories and practices of child rearing, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology provide the basis for the design and use of the object-directed emotional resolution apparatus which is designed specifically to help preschoolers resolve angry feelings.
Regarding the nature of preschooler's cognitive and moral development, Damon.sup.10, Gross and Wojnilower.sup.11, Honig.sup.12, Piaget.sup.13, and Turiel.sup.14 felt that preschoolers are in the beginning stages of perspective-taking. They can't usually generate this on their own, but with help can sometimes accomplish perspective-taking. They are also beginning to understand consequences as a result of their actions (causal relations). Therefore, the scripts explain and further this understanding.
According to Cahill.sup.15, the nature of anger in the preschooler is an attempt at mastery. The child's attitude should be that anger is okay, and that he can control his emotions and sometimes even the circumstances that give rise to these emotions. Increased mastery will lead to decreased anger in the child at this age. The scripts accept the child's anger via an accepting tone of voice and via the choice of words which relate to the child's anger. The words in the song allow the child several ways to fantasize dealing with his anger, and the underlying assumption in each of the strategies is that the child can do something with those "grouchy angries".
Axline.sup.16 and Boswell.sup.17 recommend a multimodal approach to dealing with anger as the most effective technique. The multimodal approach includes role-playing, self-talking ("Tell me what's wrong"), fantasy, physical release of aggression (pounding, jumping, etc.), physical relaxation (deep breathing), and diversion (singing, fantasy, etc.). The scripts are an embodiment of this approach.
In McCandless and Trotter's research.sup.18, the most effective techniques to deal with anger were found to be: diversion, physical release, self-talk, and fantasy. The strategies were designed to incorporate these techniques.
Schaeffer and Millman.sup.19 and others highly recommend self-talk. The technique of client-centered therapy, pioneered by Carl Rogers, involves allowing the person to talk about whatever is bothering him. There is an exercise which asks the child to tell the apparatus of the present invention what he is angry about. The apparatus is designed to be approachable and receptive so that the child will feel comfortable talking to the apparatus. The soft goods design is intentionally comforting and interesting to a preschooler so that the apparatus is felt to be approachable. The voice and the words in the self-talk exercise have been chosen to signal acceptance so that the child will feel comfortable pouring out his angry feelings to the apparatus. The voice of a trained psychologist can be used in the recording of the script so that the child would feel the "unconditional positive regard" considered important to relating his angry feelings.
To insure autonomy, self-talk (recommended by Kopp.sup.20, deciding when the session is finished (following Miller's.sup.21 advice on children ending their own time-out sessions), and being allowed to choose which exercises to listen to, are designed-in features of the recorded scripts and apparatus.
Attention span is limited in preschoolers. Two-and-one-half minutes is the lowest attention span estimate (according to Jones'.sup.22 data) for the youngest children targeted. Jones and others also recommend not overloading children with information in individual exercises. Therefore, each exercise of the present invention is designed to be fairly simple with enough to interest the child but not overload him with information. Each of the exercises is approximately one minute of speech so that the child will stay interested and may choose one or more exercises. In practice, time-outs of two minutes for two and three year olds and three minutes for four to six year olds are usually sufficient for children to calm down. Therefore, the scripts of the present invention were designed for children to be able to enjoy and relate to one or more exercises in the period of time sufficient to calm them down but not so long that they will become bored, overloaded or restless.
Nevertheless, Oppenheim.sup.23 and Schaeffer and Millman felt that preschoolers require assistance to devise strategies to work out anger on their own. Following directions facilitates children's development of self-control. Therefore, each exercise directs and guides the child to use certain strategies to work out his anger. These are strategies he may then use on his own.
Dobson.sup.24 confirmed the inventor's belief that it is important to restrict adult intervention. Too much adult intervention discourages the transfer of responsibility to the child and the ensuing feeling of self-sufficiency. The idea of the apparatus is to allow the child to do something about his feelings without requiring adult intervention.
The singing script recorded in the apparatus of the present invention was designed as an effective tool to deal with anger. McCandless and Trotter support the diversion of the child's attention as effective in both the short and long-term. The words of the song of the script include fantasy, role-playing, and incongruity humor, which are appreciated by preschoolers and are very helpful in dealing with anger. Specifically, singing can be a memory aid, and the funny images in the song are likely to be remembered with laughter by many preschoolers as well as their parents and teachers. Sometimes, laughter can lighten the mood which prevails when a child is angry, and both parents and children can deal with their emotions more effectively. Laughter is now recognized as an effective stress reduction technique for adults as well.
Axline, Boswell and Briggs.sup.25 all supported the idea that it would be beneficial to include some concrete conversion. The literature suggested that it would be very beneficial to make the conversion from anger state to non-anger state as concrete as possible. It would help in signaling that the episode is finished, that positive things can come from anger, and that the child is in control of, and owns his emotions.
The apparatus of the present invention was, therefore, designed to turn from an "angry pounding pillow" into a multi-colored "satiny" rainbow with soft clouds. At the end of the exercises, the child is told to "make the rainbow" when he has let go of his "grouchy angries". An illustrated booklet with pictures and carried by the apparatus shows children how to use the device and how to "make the rainbow". Children will enjoy finding the little booklet in the pocket and seeing how other children change from angry to calm. The illustrated booklet will aid in the child's understanding of his ability to change from being angry to calm and/or happy. The apparatus is thus designed to have two interesting designs--one which is receptive to the child's upset feelings and one which is calm and comforting to help the child resolve his upset feelings. Children are then able to convert the apparatus from one design into the other. The conversion mechanism is designed to allow little hands to make the concrete conversion from upset state to calm state all by themselves.
The present invention differs from prior art devices in that the prior art devices do not provide a specific method and apparatus for emotional resolution which incorporates speech technology, soft goods design, and developmental and clinical psychology techniques. Other devices, such as the vocalizing apparatus in Stowell et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,245), incorporate only speech technology which emits various types of sounds.
The object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for resolving emotional problems. While the present invention incorporates electronic speech, the speech and electronics comprise only one aspect of this invention. The process of pressing switches, listening to the psychological exercises, manipulating the apparatus, and resolving difficult emotions as directed in the exercises are the major objects and advantages of this invention.
Other prior art related to the field of the invention includes the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
3,376,585 Muzaurieta
3,383,074 Rautiola et al.
3,636,654 Workman
3,934,284 Paletta et al.
4,411,629 Voights
4,651,613 Harrison